PB&J Brownies

PB&J Brownies

4 months. Depending on where you’re at in life, 4 months can feel quite different. As a kid, it was was an amount of time that wasn’t even fathomable. 4 months until Disneyland / summer vacation / insertcoolthinghere?? Uuuuuuugh. These days? Let’s put it this way: in seemingly no time at all, it’s been 4 months since my last […]

Roasted Grape Panzanella Salad

Roasted Grape Panzanella Salad

Do you ever find yourself thinking, “Oh yeah! I forgot how much I love (insert random thing here)!” I do this quite often. It could be the random article of clothing that got stuffed in the back of the closet, a book I read halfway through before getting distracted… It happens. But for me it […]

Liquid Gold – Mulled Pineapple Cocktail

Mulled Pineapple Cocktail

It’s no secret that I love to throw a party, and a reason for celebrating is definitely not necessary. So when my copy of Winter Cocktails arrived in the mail, my excitement level was through the roof! It’s a gorgeous book full of party-friendly recipes from the ladies over at new-to-me blog Cookin’ and Shootin’. The book […]

Baked Potato with Sautéed Arugula

Baked Potato with Sautéed Arugula

You know that point when you’re about to go out of town and trying to whittle down the produce in the house? And then you end up with a potato and a handful of arugula and think, well I guess I’ll try to make a meal out of this… It could just be me. Other […]

Roasted Beet and Lentil Salad

Roasted Beet and Lentil Salad

I guess I can see why some people aren’t down with beets. They’re a bit funky looking, and most people seem to have some unpleasant childhood beet memories. Just like peas, lima beans and brussels sprouts before them, beets get tossed in the mental “icky healthy food” bin without a fair fight! You can’t just […]

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Blueberry Syrup

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Blueberry Syrup

It’s no coincidence that the header on this page features lemon zest. My addiction to lemons is real, recognized and wholeheartedly accepted. This latest episode in lemon mania comes from way back in the good ol’ days (A.K.A. the ’90s). If you’re new to this particular recipe, let me introduce you to the lightest, fluffiest, […]

Ginger Blood Orange Cocktail

Ginger Blood Orange Cocktail

I have a thing for ginger beer. I usually use it in cocktails (see here), and in fairly large quantities. But for this cocktail right hurr, I prefer just a splash. There is some delicious citrus action going on, and it would be a shame to hide it. Now, I feel I should warn you: this cocktail […]

Cacao Nib Caramels

Cacao Nib Caramels

As soon as I poured this caramel hotness into its cooling vessel, I could only think one thing: “I’ve made a huge mistake.” (Props to my fellow Arrested Development fans) Not that I messed up the recipe or anything, I just knew I was on track to eat way too many of these caramels. The […]

Chocolate Coconut Banana Bread

chocolate coconut banana bread

Ok. You’ve had a long week. You came down off the sugar high from all of last week’s butterscotch cookies. You sobered up after Saturday’s wine tasting party and Sunday’s Mad Men premiere. Then Monday came barging in, and you spent the next few days losing your mind finishing up next month’s issue. You somehow made it […]

Bacon Jam Roasted Chicken and Vegetables

bacon jam roasted chicken & vegetables

Sometimes you make something once and know that you’ll never try any other version of it; it’s just too perfect to stray from. Ina Garten’s chicken stock comes to mind. Sure I’ve made variations on it, but this is my base recipe for chicken stock. I’ve seen plenty of chicken stock recipes that look/sound great, […]